St. John knocks off Maize South - next its #2 6A Wichita South

Saturday

Jan 26, 2013 at 1:34 AMJan 26, 2013 at 2:08 AM

The #3 ranked St. John Lady Tigers basketball team kept their undefeated streak going Friday after facing the Maize South Mavericks in the second round of Pratt's Tournament of Champions and came home with a win, defeating the 5A Mavericks 43-30, and advanced on to Saturday's Championship finals playing the #2 ranked in 6A Wichita South Titans.

Barry Ragan

The #3 ranked St. John Lady Tigers basketball team kept their undefeated streak going Friday after facing the Maize South Mavericks in the second round of Pratt's Tournament of Champions and came home with a win, defeating the 5A Mavericks 43-30, and advanced on to Saturday's Championship finals playing the #2 ranked in 6A Wichita South Titans.

Almost from the start, it looked as if the Lady Tigers were going to literally run-a-way with another victory, leading 13-3 with not quite two minutes left on the clock. But after a South time-out, the Mavericks staged a come-back closing the cap to seven 15-8, then made a last second 3-pointer as the first quarter ended, with St. John leading 15-11.

St. John's Morgan Osborne started the first quarter where she left off after Thursday's win, when she was the top scorer with 21 points.

In the first quarter Osborne made two baskets and went perfect from the foul line going 5-5. Jamie Waters did her part too from outside, canning the Tigers first 3-pointer and made one free throw. Alexis Witt made one basket.

In a 14 point effort during the second quarter, Osborne and Waters continued to score - Osborne making three more baskets, giving her 15 points for the half. Waters canned her second three. She and Witt each made a basket.

St. John finished the half leadking 29-15.

Even though the game's intensity continued to stay at high in the second half with the Tiger's fast paced defense as frustrating as ever, that is, for the other team, unfortunately the scoring was harder to come by. The Tigers made eight points in the third quarter with Witt, Teresa Christie, Osborne and Tara Christie each making two points - the score at the end of three with St. John leading 37-23.

The Tigers scored just one basket in the fourth quarter - partly due to poor shooting at first and then to the Tigers' semi-delay game midway through, which later turned into a modified stall. The Mavericks started fouling and St. John answered by going 4-4 at the foul line, bringing a 39-30 game back up to a thirteen point 43-30 lead in the final minutes with St. John getting the win.

St. John moves on to the finals on Saturday when they match-up against #2 ranked Wichita South.

With Osborne's 20 points in this game, and adding her 21 points from the earlier game on Thursday, she could be one of the top, if not the top scorer so far in the tournament.